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Thursday, August 15, 2013

A Peek at the Future: E-Commerce & Mobile Innovation

eBay CEO John Donahoe offers
some insight on the future of retailing, specifially on E-Commerce and Mobile
Payments:

“Consumers actually want choice.
People want the product when they want it, how they want it, where they want
it.”

“Consumers want a seamless experience. If you’re a
retailer or a merchant of any size, you’ve got to address that.”

On mobile innovation:

“The impact of mobile on our lives is just beginning. The
next phase you’re going to see using the mobile device—I’ll call it offline
existence. So an example will be, you’re in a store and you want information
about a product. Or PayPal Check-in is another example—how you can alert a
merchant that you’re coming ahead of time. And so when you come in, they can
greet you by name and give you personalized service.

“You’re going to be able to access the Web from more
places. You know, that’s what the Kate Spade example does. Wow, storefront
windows: It’s kind of crazy that when stores close, no one can buy from the
store. What if, when the store’s closed, someone can buy using a touchscreen on
the storefront?”

On mobile payment:

“When PayPal came to mobile, the reason we had $20
billion of mobile payments was, when people wanted to buy something on a mobile
device, the one-click PayPal button was safe and convenient. The way we’re
thinking about the offline world is, what are consumer pain points? No one
likes standing in lines. Whether you’re at a Jamba Juice or a coffee shop, if
you can order ahead or order when you walk in the store, pay and go around the
line—the merchants like that, and consumers like that. When you’re in a
restaurant, having to wait until the waiter brings your check: What if you
could pay from the table? That’s a second-use case we’re experimenting with.”